Changes
by AmoreSempre
Summary: The summer before 7th year, Hermione makes a vow of silence, hiding everything that has happened to her. When the kids go back to Hogwarts, will anyone be able to save Hermione from what she has done to herself?
1. Chapter 1

Hermione was just waking up when she heard a pounding on the door downstairs. She had no idea where she was, when it was, or what was going on; but then everything from the past few weeks hit her so hard in the face she could almost feel it. She was at the Burrow, and it was two days before she went back to her home. Not her home with her parents, but the home where she felt safe, her real home. Hogwarts.

She sighed as she lay back down in her bed, waiting for someone to come tell her it was time to get up. She didn't get up in the mornings now. She waited until they got worried, around noon, and someone came upstairs to see if she was alright, but never was it Ron. No, he hadn't seen or spoken to her for a few weeks now. She did her best to avoid him, which explained her not getting up until it was lunchtime. She usually woke up early, stayed in bed until someone got her up, and went to bed early, right after dinner.

Today was different though. She didn't wake up until 11:30, and by the time it was one, nobody had come upstairs. Something was wrong. She got up of her own free will, which was a change, and put on her fluffy pink robe that she had loved since her first year of Hogwarts. By now it was not really fluffy and not really pink but she loved it all the same. It was her version of a security blanket, and she didn't go to Hogwarts without it.

She opened her door and listened for the noises downstairs that she usually woke to, but she didn't hear any of them. Everything was quiet. She slowly went downstairs, her wand out, waiting for something to jump out at her. When she got to the kitchen no one was there. The kitchen was so different with no one bustling around and no yelling or arguing. She had seen this kitchen every year now and never once did she see it completely empty. Except for today.

Then she saw something on the table with her name on it. It was a note saying they had all gone to Diagon Alley and let her sleep in today. She was kind of disappointed because how was she to get her supplies? Then she read the rest of the note, which told her they had brought her supplies list with them and they would pick up her books for her. It was signed "with love, Harry". Why that made her tear up she had no idea, but then she saw her note on the table and decided to read it. When she picked it up, though, it felt heavier than usual. Her heart started pounding as she opened it up and then she saw what she had wanted for so many years, but now she wasn't sure she wanted it as much. She was now Head Girl.

It was five, and still no one was back. Hermione had been alone for a few hours, and now she was really starting to get lonely. She had read Hogwarts: A History twice already while she was alone, and even that book was starting to bore her. What was wrong with her? Even through the things that had happened, she never expected to be bored by that book.

"Hey Hermione!" she heard a familiar voice yell to her from outside. "I'm locked out!"

Hermione was sitting down by the fireplace. She hadn't lit a fire, she wasn't really sure how. She knew to light a match but that was the extent of her knowledge. She just rolled her eyes, went to the window, and pointed to Harry's wand. Sometimes he could be so lacking in common sense.

He laughed, turning scarlet in the cheeks.

"Oh… yea. Alohamora."

Hermione turned on her heel and went back into the kitchen. She was lonely, but she didn't want to be with people all that much. She confused even herself sometimes. Harry walked in behind her, carrying a few backs. The thing that confused her, though, was that he was alone. Where was everyone else?

"So, 'Mione. What've you been up to while we were gone?"

He looked at her and saw she was looking behind him.

"Oh. You're probably wondering where everyone else is, right?"

She didn't answer him, obviously, but just looked him straight in the eye, waiting for the answer.

"Well… they decided to get some ice cream. Molly told me to bring your stuff to you, and she said they would be home by 7:00. We have to make dinner" At this he made a face. Hermione knew how good he was at cooking.

She went over to the cabinets and started to look for something to eat. She was never going to let Harry cook anything for her, ever. She found some apples, an empty jar of mayonnaise, and a bottle of Butterbeer.

"Wow. That's going to get me far," she said silently to herself.

She turned to Harry and opened the door further to let him look in the fridge himself. He saw what was in there and blanched. He was hungry, and he was NOT going to eat what was in the fridge.

"Let's go get something to eat", he suggested, but Hermione just shook her head. She didn't want to go eat out. She didn't want to have to act like she was okay. She pulled out her cell phone, and dialed a number she had known by heart since she was 10.

It started to ring so she handed it to Harry. Harry knew what she was doing, having lived in the muggle world and all.

"Pizza Hut. How can we help you?"

"Uh, hi. I want some… pizzas?" Hermione nodded. "Yea, pizzas. We'll take a large pepperoni and a large…? Cheese?" Hermione nodded again. "Okay, a large pepperoni and a large cheese."

Harry gave the Pizza Hut man the address, and hung up.

"They'll be here in 15 minutes." Harry was relieved. He could always eat pizza, especially Pizza Hut. "You hungry?"

Hermione nodded vigorously. She hadn't eaten since last night, and now she was ravenous. Hermione could eat quite a lot when she wanted to.

15 minutes later the doorbell rang. It was funny hearing that sound, because magical people never rang the doorbell. They just walked right in. Harry answered the door and paid the pizza guy with muggle money. He always had some on him, just in case of emergencies. Hermione was waiting at the table, looking ready to eat enough to last her awhile.

Harry opened up the boxes and the smell of pizza wafted up into their noses. Ah, the sweet smell of fresh pizza. Nothing more classic than that.

"Dig in!"


	2. Chapter 2

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The only sound in the almost empty house was the sound of an alarm that was unwelcome to the boy it belonged to and the scurrying feet of working elves, preparing their masters quick breakfast before he headed off to school.

Draco Malfoy was alone. Technically, he had his elves, but he had no family. At least not a real family. His mother was off in Paris, doing god-knows-what with god-knows-who. Off on a "business trip" for her dream of becoming a stage actor. Draco thought she was ridiculous. His father was most likely kneeling before his own master, begging for forgiveness of some sort, or kissing someone else's ass to save himself. Draco's life was always the same. Nothing ever happened to him; Nothing good at least.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

No matter how many times the alarm went off, Draco would not wake up. It was this way every morning. No one actually knew why he still had the alarm, but no one really understood anything about him.

Finally a kitchen elf came upstairs to tell him that his breakfast was ready. It was the same reaction every morning, so it was always the same elf coming up to him. They were prepared for the coming explosion.

"Err, Master Malfoy? You're breakfast is ready?"

With those few words, Draco was up, out of his king sized, fluffy bed, and raving.

"Who said you could come in my room, wake me up hours after I was supposed to be up, and… come into my room!?" Yeah, Draco was mad.

He didn't like to be interrupted by anything, even though if he hadn't been disturbed, he wouldn't have been woken. He knew that it wasn't the elves fault, but he needed to take his always-boiling anger out on someone.

The elf just looked at him knowing that this could go on for a while if Master Draco wanted it to. The little man knew he would just have to stand there until the storm was over.

"I have to take a shower. Go do whatever it is that you do."

And with those words, Draco knew something was different. He had barely yelled at all. That was really unlike him.

What is wrong with me? What was all that about?

Draco just looked at the elf, turned briskly on his heel and went to start his shower, leaving the elf thoroughly confused. As the spray of water warmed up, Draco thought about what had happened out there.

Why didn't I scare that elf more? And why am I so exhausted? What the hell is wrong with me?

Draco picked out a fluffy white towel from underneath his double sink and hung it over the glass wall of the shower. He was so distracted by his thoughts that he almost forgot to take his clothes off before stepping into the shower.

After he double-checked that everything was where it should be, and he was as he should be, he opened the shower door and stepped in under the stream of scalding water. Just the way he liked it.

While Draco was in the shower, he thought about everything that had happened recently. This summer had changed him a lot. He had been home by himself, in the immense manor, for almost the complete summer. It had made him think a lot. Thinking in ways that were very unlike the way Malfoy's should think.

He had also been having really strange dreams, but he couldn't remember them in the morning. He would grasp a part of it when he woke up, but the dream always slipped away from him. It was the same dream every night, and the same outcome every morning.

When Draco had been in the shower for almost an hour, he decided it was time to get out. As he stepped out of the shower, his stomach decided to tell him it was time to eat. Draco got himself all slick and neat, and stomped down the stairs. As he opened the double doors to his massive dining room, he realized he hadn't read his letter from Hogwarts.

He looked to his deep mahogany table that could sit 20, and saw his breakfast of waffles, eggs over easy, and 3 strips of bacon. The breakfast fit for him, King of the house. As he sat down he called his best elf to him.

"Yes, Master?" Snappy was right by his side in a second, always the faithful servant.

"Where is my letter from Hogwarts? I wish to see it now." Draco said without even looking at the helpful elf.

Snappy reached into his potato sack top and produced Draco's letter. Draco reached out his left hand as he put some eggs into his mouth with his right hand. When he had the letter, he dismissed Snappy without any glance, once again.

Draco opened the flap that was tucked into the envelope, since the elves had already opened it to buy his school supplies. He took out his letter, saying all the Hogwarts fancy speech about the school. He just skimmed that letter, but when he looked back into the envelope, he realized another letter.

He took the letter out and unfolded it, very curious about what the letter contained. As he read the first line, he dropped his fork full of eggs, and it clamored to the floor. As house elves appeared to clean up his mess, Draco sat there, stunned.

The first line of this mysterious letter read:

"Congratulations on becoming Hogwarts new Head Boy…"

New head boy? You have got to be kidding me. You're kidding, right?

Draco could not believe that he had gotten Head Boy. He was a Slytherin, a good student, but not a great one, and frankly, he was an ass-hole. Even he knew he was an ass-hole. He tried to be one. He pretty much made it his job to be one.

When Draco finally came out of his daze of wonderment, he realized he had to get to the platform. Now. He jumped up from his seat and flew out of the dining room. A few of his house elves followed behind him, 2 of them going upstairs to fetch his trunks.

He walked outside of the massive manor to the front yard, with manicured lawns and many acres of land. Draco looked around himself, and he finally realized something that really scared him. He didn't want this. None of this.


End file.
